A DRINK-DRIVER had a young child in his car who had not been secured with a seat-belt.
Svetoslav Spasov drove on three motorways during storm conditions and nearly crashed on several occasions.
He was finally stopped by police after coming over the Queensferry Crossing into Fife.
Spasov, 38, of Baxter Street, Dundee, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court accompanied by a translator.
He admitted that on November 27, on the M8 westbound, M9 north and M90 north from Edinburgh over the Queensferry Crossing and elsewhere, he drove a car after consuming excess alcohol.
His reading was 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 22 microgrammes.
He also admitted he drove the car carelessly under the influence of alcohol, failed to stay in his lane, veered onto the hard shoulder and almost collided with the central reservation and with other road users.
He further admitted he exposed a six-year-old boy to unnecessary suffering or injury to health by allowing him to be unrestrained in a vehicle being driven under the influence of alcohol.
The court was told police had been contacted at 12.40am about a car being driven erratically on the M8.
The car was tracked down and followed over the Queensferry Crossing. The vehicle was veering over the road and came close to colliding with the central reservation and other cars.
Defence solicitor Alan Davie said Spasov had been in Edinburgh meeting up with his brother and his family.
He had planned to stay at a hotel in Edinburgh but could not make a booking online. He then decided to drive back towards Dundee in very bad weather conditions brought on by Storm Arwen.
βIt was an incredibly poor decision,β added the solicitor.
Sheriff Grant McCulloch imposed a community payback order with 125 hours of unpaid work and banned Spasov from driving for 16 months.
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